Starter-making machine.



PATENTED JAN. 31. 1905.y

T. L. VALERIUS. STARTER MAKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 17, 1963.

.PATIINTED JAN. s1, 1905.

I. L. VALBRIUS. .STARTER MAKING MACHINE.

PPLIUATION FILED Amm?. .1903.

2 SHEETS-BRENT 2.

y UNITED STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

'PAfIENT OFFICE. l

THEODORE L. vALERIUs, OF. PORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN. ASSIGNOR To CREAMLRYPACKAGE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or CHICACQILLI- NOIS, A CORPORATION OPILLINOIS. e

STARTER-MAKING MACHINE..

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent I No. 781,382, dated anuary31, 1905.

Application filed August 17, 1903i VSerial-No. 169,789.

T a/ZZ whom if may concern:

Be it known thatI, THEOD'ORE LVALERIIIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Atkinson, in the county of Jefferson and State ofWisconsimhave invented acertain new, useful, and Improved Starter-MakingMachine, of which the following isla specification.

This invention relates to machines or apparatus for facilitating themanufacture, of ferments, and particularly the lactic-acid ferment orstarter liquid used in ripening cream from which butter is made. rlhisferment or starter,

having milk for its base or body, isused in u The quality of the butterlarge quantities. which is manufactured from cream that has been ripenedby the aid of astarteris largely dependent upon the quality of thestarter.y Hence the'starter is an important element in the manufactureof butter. Itis made either by the natural fermentation of skimmed milkor by the fermentation of skimmed milk with the addition of buttermilkor with a commercial lactic-acid ferment. The commercial ferment, whichcomprises a culture-body of minimum size thoroughly inoculated with thebacteria which will induce lactic fermentation, is preferred by mostbutter-makers, who use the same with skimmed milk, which is pasteurizedbefore the ferment is mixed with it. It has been customary toplace in areceptacle called a starter-can a quantity of skimmed milk either in itsnatural state orv containing a small 'quantity of`previouslymanufactured starter or a quantity of the commercialfermentthoroughly admixed with the skimmed milk. The mixture is thencovered and allowed to stand at a temperature of about 90O for fromtwelve to twenty-four hours, ac-

cording to the character of the mixture. When held at the temperaturenoted, the whole body of milk will become, thoroughly inoculated andfermented by the growth or de` velopment of the lactic-acid and likebacteria a large body of fresh cream. If the cream is held in a suitablevat and at any temperature above that of refrigeration,thestarter willpromote the rapid fermentation of the cream,

therein, and when it ,hasreached the proper degree of acidity it isimmediately mixed withA ing within a period dependent for its lengthupon the' temperature at which the cream is held while ripening. Creammaybe ripened by natural fermentation and without the addition of astarter; but this process is too slow for commercial uses, and thestarter has been'considered essential to butter-making for. many years,though the concentrated commercial starter has been in use but acomparatively Ashort time. .In years past the ripening of the 6o creamafter inoculation with the starter has been a slow process, occupying.the greater part of twenty-four hours, and churning was done'but onceaday. It was therefore convenment of the starter; but of recent -yearsthe processes of ripening cream and the apparatus employed for thatpurpose have been so improved that itis now possible to ripen severalcreameries the work is carried on so rapidly that churnings occur everyfew hours. It thus appears that the slow and uncertain development andpreparation of the starter even with the aid of prepared or commercialfer- 75 ments is beginning to be recognized as an annoyingfeature and ahindrance in the conduct -of a large dairy or Creamery. Neither theprocess nor the apparatus for making the starter has been improved to anextent com- 8o mensurate with the improvements in the other branches oftheart, and creaInery-men are to-day forced to spend their time andefforts in the constant attempt to harmonize the slow starter-makingprocesses,z with the more rapid 8 5 processes wherein the starter isusedwhen finished. The result is that much imperfect starter is used, and inevery large Creamery there is much uncertainty as to the uniformity andquality of the different batches of 9G starter that are used lwithsuccessive batches of cream. The whole process isthus made to lack thatuniformity which is essential toV the production of uniform high-gradebutter, and the butter-makerl is placed in doubt as to 95 the properduration of the ripening process.

' The 'object of my invention is to provide means for manufacturing orpreparing fer` causing it to become ripe or ready for churn- 5o ient todevote as longa period to the developi batches of cream in the same day,and in many v ments, particularly starter, for creameries. My object isto facilitate the preparation of the starter and place its developmentwithin the immediate control of an operator and make it possible tomanufacture a quantity of starter within so short a time that theoperator can afford to stand over and govern the operation of themachine until the liquid is suiiciently fermented for use and theneffeetively check the fermentation and keep the starter in the propercondition if it is not to be used at once.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a machine oflight, simple, and cheap construction adapted to receive a can of milkand to heat or cool the contents of the can and also agitate the same asmay be necessaryT to promote the rapid fermentation of said contents andthencheck its temperature when fermentation is complete.

My invention consists generally in a stirring, heating, and coolingdevice adapted to be placed in a starter-Camn combination with means forcirculating, heating, and cooling fluids in said device for the purposeof controlling the temperature of the contents of the starter-can.

My invention also consists in a complete machine whereof the foregoingelements comprise the essential parts, all as hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

rlhe invention will be'more readily understood by reference `to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and inwhich- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a machine thatembodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the heating andcooling' device as it appears when raised to permit the removal or theplacing of a starter-can upon the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan view of themachine. Fig. f1 is a plan section substantially on the line m of Fig.1, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the steam and water connections of themachine.

As shown in the drawings, the principal elements of the machine in itspreferred form are a base adapted to receive the starter can orreceptacle, a supporting-column, arevoluble tempering device which hangsfrom said column, means for rotating the tempering device and means forsupplying hot and cold fluids, usually steam and cold water, tothetempering device while the same is in rotation. As the can, with thehalf-barrel of liquid thatit usually contains, is of considerableweight, I prefer to lift the lighter tempering device instead of movingthe can or the column when it is desired to remove the tempering device.from the starter-can, and my machineis so designed. My invention,however, obviously admits of any convenient relation of the parts andwill be operative in any form in which tempering means are provided forimmersion in the body of the liquid to be treated. Itis possible also touse the starter-can as a permanent or stationary part of my machineif itis so arranged that it may be easily iilled and emptied; butl haverejected this plan, because it is more convenient to employ the samecans for holding the batches of starter after ithas been made therein.By means of the tempering device the temperature of the startei isreduced to alow point before each can is taken from the machine. Thecans are then covered and placed in arefrigeratoruntilneeded. The timeconsumed in the complete development or preparation of a can of starterwith the aid of my machine seldom exceeds thirty minutes, and it istherefore possible for one operator to make up a large number of batchesof starter within a few hours and during the hours when he is notactively engaged in other branches of the creamery-work. Furthermore` asthe fermentation goes on only under the observation of the operator theuniformity of the several batches is assured.

Referring again to the drawings for thedetails of my machine, it will beseen that the base 2 may be a circular casting provided with legs 2 andpreferably having an annular groove 3 on its top to receive the bottomedge of the jacketed starter-can 4. On opposite sides of the can-groove3 the base is provided with upwardly-extending bosses 5, in which arearranged the lower ends of pipes 6, which constitute the uiiirights ofthe column before referred to. These sides or pipes 6 support thecross-bar 7, which is a casting, generally of the form shown in Figs. 1and 3. At the middle of the cross-bar is a veitical bearing 8,surrounded by a drain-pocket 9, the cylindrical walls and the bottom ofwhich are vpreferably integral parts of the casting. The

arms or opposite ends 7 7 of the cross-barrare hollow and open into thebottom of the drainpocket 9. The outer ends of thearms have verticalbosses 7, that Iit upon the pipes 6, and the hollow arms communicatewith said pipe, so that water which enters the pocket 9 will iow downthrough the hollow arms and the pipes 6 and drain out upon the iioor,avoiding the starter-can. In addition to the above the crossbar ispreferably provided with integral posts or blocks, containing thebearings 10 and 11 for the driving-shaft 12 of the machine. On its outerend this shaft is provided with a fixed and a loose pulley13 14 toreceive a narrow drivingbelt. The inner end of the shaft carries abevel-gear 15, that engages the larger bevelgear 16 of the temperingdevice. Said tempering device comprises the hollow spiral 17 inconnection with the hollow shaftlSand thel steam and water pipe 19within it. 'lhe shaft 18 is held in the bearing, and said gear 116 isattached toits upper end for rotating the shaft and the spiral. Thetempering device 17 is preferably separable from the shaft 18, andtherefore has its own short shaft or hub 20, upon which the hollowspiral is secured. The

IOO

spiral is made up of opposed thin sheet-metal parts and contains thespiral duct 17 which at its lower endv communicates with the sleeve 2Oby an opening 20 and at its upper end by an opening The sleeve 20,fastened on the lower end of the shaft 18, contains a partition-block2l, between the holes 2 0 and 20".

The small central pipe 19 passes through this block 21, and when steamor water, or both, are admitted through the pipe 1'9 the same will iowthrough the hole 20' into the spiral and thence upward to the discharge20l of the spiral, from which it 'will be discharged upward through theshaft 18, around'the pipe 19. The gear 16 on the upper end of the shaft18 is provided with a solid web 16 and a cylindrical wall16", forming areceiving pan or head to receive the water that ascends from the shaft18. The bottom or web 16 of the pan and gear is provided with one ormore short drain-'pipes 22, which lead the water into thevunderlying-pocket 9, from which the water drains, as before explained.'In this manner I provide for the quiet draining of the machine while thetempering device isin rotation. The pipe-19 has its'lowerend jour-`naled in the partition-block 21 of the temper-4 ing device-and does notrotate. It has an elbow 28 on its upper end, from which a short pipe 24extends to the union-coupling 25 on the steam and water pipe 26. 27 and28 are the valved steam andV water connections tol said pipe 26.

29 is a post provided on the hollow-armed cross-bar to support the parts28, 27, 26, and

v19, with the intermediate parts. v

The union 25 is preferably provided Vwith large hand-wheel 25,lby` whichit may be v quickly opened when it is desired to lift the temperingdevice. l

30 represents a small hood that is attached to the pipe 19 above theopen end of the shaft 18 to prevent the blowing 4out of the water whensteam is suddenly turned into the pipe 19.

The normal position ofl the parts is as shown on the vbearing 8, forholding the shaft andL the tempering device in the elevated positionwhile the starter-cans are being changed.

The use and operation of my machine in a Creamery are as follows: Theunion 25 is first opened and the tempering device is lifted, as shown inFig. 2, the steam and water pipe being closed A starter-can is thenplaced on the in a few minutes. Yciently low to effectually checkfurther fer- For convenience I pro- 1 base of the machine and is filledwith the milk to be fermented. The tempering device is now lowered intothe can. makes sure that the gear 16 is in proper mesh with the pinion15 and also connects the pipecoupling or union 25. The water-pipe isthen opened and the tempering device filled through the pipe 19, afterwhich theV steam-valve is The operator opened and the water-valve closedor left only partially open. The steam driving down through the pipe19.is condensed, in the spiral, the surfaces of which are exposed to thecooler. starter liquid. Thus while the steam ,heats the spiral toa hightemperature thetemperature is that of hot water, and the spiral is neverhot enough to injure the liquid. The

Water that is expelled from the spiral by the ingoing steamand water isforced upward through the shaft l18 and exhausted into the' Vpan or headat the upper end of the pipe.

From the head the water drains into the pocket 9 and the column sides 6.The mere presence ofthe vheated `device in the body of y milk issuiicient to raise the temperature of the milk and promote its rapidfermentation; but I prefer in all cases to rotate the tempering deviceeither by a hand-crank (not shown)y `or through the medium of thebelt-pulley.

It is obvious that the rotation of the tempering device and thetemperature thereof are directly within control of the operator, and

The agitation of the liquid insures uni- IOO When-according to hisjudgment or test the liquid has reached Vthe-desired state he willimmediately close the steam-valve and open the water-valve, meantimecontinuing the rotation of the spiral. The waterv is chilled,A beingColdwell-water, ice-water, or brine, and being admitted tothetempering-spiral quickly lowers its temperature and through the mediumthereof the temperature of the liquid in the can. perature of thecanful'of liquid may be reduced to approximately 10C FahrenheitwithrIhis temperature is suiimentation, and the can of starter is thenready to be used or stored. The tempering device is now lifted out ofthe can and the can is set to one side to make place for the next can.The cold cans of starter 'may be stored in a refrigerator and kept inperfect condition for several days ready for use at any time.

My machine has so simplified the making In this manner the temof starterthat many Creamery-men prefer to make up the needed batch of starterwhile the cream is being separated from the fresh milk preparatory tothe ripening of the cream. This may be done without interrupting theregular work. It will be seen, therefore, that the preparation of thestarter instead of being an element of delay and annoyance increamery-work now becomes the most simple step in the manufacture ofbutter.

My invention has various uses, and numerous modifications of the samewill readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art. I thereforedo not confine my invention to the specific constructions herein shownand described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent* l. In a starter-making machine, thestarterreceptacle, in combination, with a rotary tempering' device, asuitable support and guide for said device, said device being shiftableon said support for emersion and immersion in said receptacle and meansfor circulating heating and cooling fluids in said temperingdevice,substantially as described.

2. In astarter-making machine, the starterreceptacle, in combination,with a revolubie tempering device suitably supported, said receptacleand device being relatively movable, vertically, means for rotating saiddevice and means for heating and cooling said device whilein rotation,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. `In amachine of the class described, a suitable base for the can orreceptacle, in combination, with a tempering device supported on saidbase and movable toward and from the same, means for rotating and meansfor heating and cooling said tempering device, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a machine of the class described, a suitable base for the can orreceptacle, in combination, with a rotary tempering device, comprising ahollow propeller-like member of large external area, said device beingmovable toward and from said base and means for eirculating temperingiiuids therein, substantially as described.

5. In amachine of the class described, asuitable base for the can orreceptacle, in combination, with a tempering device, containinga fluidchamber or duct, the supporting-shaft, through which iiuid is suppliedthereto, a support or column, wherein said shaft is movably held,andshaft-rotating means on said column, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, a base for the can orreceptacle, in combination, with a suitable frame or column, apropeller-like tempering device vertically movable thereon and means forrotating said tempering device, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the class described, the

ff combination, of a suitable can or receptacle,

with a rotary propeller-like tempering device therein, for tempering andagitating the contents of the receptacle, and means for heating andcooling said device, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the class described, a suitable frame, incombination, with a rotary and longitudinally-movable temperingdevice,journaled and guided in said frame, means for rotating said device, andmeans for circulatingheatingand cooling iiuids therein, while it is inrotation, substantially as described.

9. In a machine of the class described, a suitable frame,in combinationwith a vertical shaft slidably journaled therein, means for rotatingsaid shaft, a tempering and agitating device on and movable with saidshaft and a source of tempering fiuid communicating with said devicethrough said shaft, substantially as described.

10. In a machine of the class described, a suitable frame, incombination, with the spiral tempering device dependingI from saidframe, said device being of large external area and containing aHuid-duct, means for rotating said device, and iiuid connections forcircnlating heating and cooling liuids through said duct while saiddevice is in rotation, substantially as described.

11. In a machine of the class described, a suitable frame, incombimition with a vertical hollow shaft, having` suitablebearings insaid frame, means for rotating said shaft, a distinct pipe or ductwithin said shaft. a tempering device on the lower end of said shaft andcontaining a circulating-duct that is connected with said shaft andpipe, a i'iuid-supply connection and a drain connection arranged at theupper end of said shaft, substantially as described.

l2. In a machine of the class described, the frame or column, incombination with a \'ertical shaft, longitudinally niovable in saidframe, means for rotating said shaft, the exhaust-head provided on theupper end of said shaft, the Huid-supply pipe en tering said shaft, andthe temi'iering device on the lower end of said shaft, wherewith saidpipe communicates and which exhausts into said head, substantially asdescribed.

13. In a machine of the class described, the frame, in combination withthe hollow shaft journaled therein, the exhaust-head provided on theupper end of said shaft, the drainpocket provided in the frame, beneathsaid head, the tempering device, on the lower end of said shaft, andmeans for supplying heating and cooling iiuids thereto, the iluid beingexhausted through said hollow shaft, head and pocket, substantially asdescribed.

14. In a machine of the class described, a suitable frame, incombination, with a vertical bearing therein, the hollow shaft, in saidbearing, the tempering device provided on the lower end of said shaft,and supplied lOO with, and emptied of, Huid through said shaft, the'exhaust -head on the upper end of said l shaft, and driving meansengaged with said head, for operating said shaft and tempering device,substantially as described.

15. In a machine of the class described, a

suitable base for holding the can or receptacle, 1n combination, with acolumn, erected n said base, and having a vertical bearing in its upperpart, the hollow shaft vertically movable in said bearing, means on saidcolumn for rotating said shaft, the fluid.- supply pipe artical shaft insaid frame, to hang within said i receptacle, means for rotating saidshaft, a hollow spiral tempering device, on the lower end `of saidshaft, the means in said shaft .for circulating heating and coolingfluids to said tempering device, and fluid-supplying means'on saidframe, substantially asdescribed.

17. The tempering device for ferment-making machines, comprising ahollow shaft, in combination with a separate fluid-pipe therein, thehollow spiral on the end of said shaft, one end of the spiral ducttherein communieating with said pipe and the other with said shaft, anda suitable exhaustor drain connection on the opposite end of said shaft,substantially as described.

18. In a machine of the class described, the base, in combination withthe hollow column erected thereon, the cross-bar on said column,

the bearing on said bar, the drain-pocket surrounding said bearing Vandcommunicating with the interior of said column, the tempering device,the shaft thereof, held in said-bearing and having an exhaust-headadapted to discharge into said pocket, and means for rotating saidshaft, substantially as described. 19. In a machine of the classdescribed, a suitable frame, provided with a vertical bearing, incombination, with a drain-pocket surrounding said bearing, ythefluid-conducting shaft held in said bearing, the exhaust-head providedon the upper end of said shaft and having openings in its bottom, abovesaid pocket, the gear upon said head, a drivingpinion arranged on saidframe and engaged with said gear, and the tempering device provided onthe lower end of said shaft and suitably supplied with tempering fluids,substantially as described.

20. In amachine of the class described, the base, in combination, withthe-column-pipes erected thereon,the holloWcross-bar on the upper endsof said pipes and communicating therewith, the drain-pocket provided onsaid bar,-the tempering device, the shaft thereof, borne by said bar,the exhaust-head provided on said shaft and delivering into said pocket,means for supplying heating and cooling iiuids to said tempering device,and means for rotating said shaft with said device, substantially asdescribed.

21. In-a starter-making machine, the combination, of the starter can orreceptacle, with the tempering and agitating device, comprising thehollow spiral, the hollow operatingshaft, said spiral having openings atthe ends tween said openings, the Huid-pipe in said hollow shaft and`extending through said partition, and means for rotating said spiral,substantially as described.

22. In a machine of theclass described, a suitable frame, incombination, with the vertical hollow shaft, arranged therein, thefluidsupply pipe provided in' said shaft, the hollow tempering device onthe lower end of said `of its hub, the partition within the hubs, be''shaft, in communication with said shaft and pipe, means on the frame forrotating said shaft, the valved4 fluid connectionssupported -on saidframe, a "suitable coupling between said connectionsand saidy pipe,permitting the lifting of said shaft and tempering device in' i saidframe, as and for the purpose specified. 23. In a machine ofthe classdescribed, the base, in connection with the'column-pipes 6, andcross-bar supportedby said pipes, and provided with a middle bearing,the drainpocket surrounding said bearing, the driving-shaft and-pinionarranged on said bar, the hollow shaft in said bearing, the combined IOOgear and exhaust-head onV the upper end of said shaft, above saidpocket, the uid-supply pipe in said shaft, the valved heating andcooling fluid connections, supported on said bar and coupled to saidpipe, and the hollow spiral on the lower end of said shaft and havingits and agitating deviceupon the lower end of said shaft; a suitablesource of tempering fluid and ducts for conveying the tempering fluid toand from said tempering and agitating device when the same is inrotation, substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ends connected with saidshaft and pipe re- TIO my hand, this `11th day of August, 1903, in thepresence of two witnesses.,

THEODORE. L. VALERIUS.

Witnesses:

C. Gr. HAWLEY, B. K. SEFTON.

